"American Idol" featured the teen sensation Miley Cryus as the contestant's coach on their songs for this week. Cyrus was surprisingly helpful in her comments to the top 11 and it was clear she had done her homework, knowing each person's strengths and weaknesses. Several singers gave strong performances this week, while the weaker contestants missed the mark again. The theme was back to number one Billboard hits and, even though it seems like it should be easy to make a good song choice out of the thousands of possibilities, it was still a struggle for many of the singers.
Lee Dewyze was not one of those singers. He sang The Letter by The Boxtops and, though it looked to me as though he felt awkward performing, the vocals were quite good. It was a bit of an odd choice from DeWyze, since it was more big-band than you would expect from the rock singer. Randy, Ellen, and Kara all thought he was excellent, while Simon said it was "quite corny" and that he "missed the point about having a moment." DeWyze seems unlikely to head home this week.
Paige Miles gave what is perhaps one of the worst performances in "Idol" history, singing Phil Collins' Against All Odds. It seemed as though Miles was in a different key the entire song; there were almost no notes that were on pitch. Randy called it "honestly terrible" and Kara said it was "the worst vocals that I've heard from you and possibly of the season." Miles wouldn't have made it past the initial auditions if she had performed this. It looks like it may be the end of the road for the talented singer.
Up next was Tim Urban who, week after week, seems to make poor song choices. This week was no different, as he sang Queen's Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The arrangement was dull, added nothing new to the song, and Urban's performance was that of an Elvis impersonator. (My favorite part was when he slid on the floor. Uh...what? Though, Randy did say it was the "dopest thing [he] did.") The judges were unimpressed with his vocals and Kara called it the equivalent of Zac Efron or Hairspray. I seem to doubt Urban's vocal abilities are enough to handle a career in musical theatre and I think it's about time his run on "Idol" came to a close.
The always-consistent Aaron Kelly was up next, singing I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. Apparently the vocal problems that plagued Paige Miles last week have made their way to Kelly, as he was suffering from both tonsillitis and laryngitis. Other than his top notes being a bit weaker than usual, I'd never have known. I was a big fan of the arrangement and thought it worked well for Kelly's voice. The judges agreed, with the only criticism being that he lacked stage presence. With enough work, Kelly could give a singer like Crystal a run for her money, due to his widespread appeal.
Speaking of Crystal, Ms. Bowersox sang next, performing the Janis Joplin hit, Me and Bobby McGee. Bowersox had never really won me over until tonight. The performance was incredible and showcased her amazing control over her voice. She seems to be at another level compared to many of the other contestants and her only downfall seems to be that she may not appeal much to the younger audience members. That being said (and Simon has said this many times), it's her contest to lose.
Singing When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge, was Michael Lynche. It was a rather safe choice for "Big Mike," as it is not terribly different from his past R&B stylings. I really enjoyed the ending of the song, as he bookended his bigger notes with a softer tone. Kara called the performance "a bit boring and lounge-y" and "over indulgent." It seems like Lynche will need to show a bit more versatility before he is able to really make a push to become the next "American Idol."
Andrew Garcia seems to disappoint week after week. Garcia was my pick to win the competition following Hollywood, but he has lost much of my support, as he never picks the right song. This time, it was I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye. Garcia tried to sing the song as written, losing the guitar and his signature arranging style, though this may have been the type of song that would have been perfect for that sort of thing. Overall, it was completely the wrong song choice and did nothing to gain him votes from fans. Each of the judges commented on his poor choice and Simon went so far as to say he "ruined a great pop song." Don't expect Garcia to be around too much longer, though his personality should sustain him past Urban and Miles.
